Guardians of Lesperah
by Wolf of Silver Dawn
Summary: After many owls are brought in the Castle and other places, two, called Skylia and Socrates, must band with Septimus, Jenna, and others to find their brother and defeat the evil that still lingers. No longer on hold, YAY!
1. Prologue

Prologue

A Barn owl perched on a slender birch limb. On a few more sat the members of the parliament.

"Ahem…as you know, ever since the defeat of the Pure Ones more and more of us have been hatching chicks, raising them, and eventually knighted as Guardians of Ga'Hoole" began the king, Coryn. Many of the others nodded, including the Band.

"I have brought you here today to discuss an idea of mine." Coryn unrolled a rabbit pelt and used two spikes to attach it to the wall. "A small group of owls went to a different world, and returned two days ago." There were some gasps, and Martin said, "Not the sixth kingdom?" "No" said Coryn. And these owls found out how to make contact with the inhabitants of this world. They are called, 'People', and we speak the same language."

More gasps, and Gylfie called out, "What did they look like?" "Well", said Coryn, now pacing on the branch, "the one they made most contact with was called Sintagea. They reported that she was very smart, and kind to animals. She wore a tunic, a white tunic, and kept her hair tied up." "Wait, slow down" said Twilight, and stepped forward. "What's a tunic? What's 'hair'?"

Coryn cleared his throat again and said, "A tunic, they say, is some kind of outfit made of, um, 'nylon' she said, and it apparently covers the torso, and part of the upper legs. Hair is what these People have on their heads. It can be many different colors, and they use something called 'scissors' to cut it."

"What did this Sintagea say to the search party?" asked Sylvana. "They asked her who really run the place, and she pointed them to the Castle." "The Others!" Gylfie gasped. "They are related to the Others!"

Coryn nodded to her. "That's what I thought as well. And so the search party bid farewell to Sinfagea, and left. They flew high above civilization, and saw the Castle, which was massive. Maybe ten of our tree, here, could fit inside." Ruby whistled through her beak. "And so they flew over the river, which was a very big river, and so they perched on an incoming boat overday, then they were off again. They reached the outside of the castle by midnight, and they saw a closed drawbridge. They flew over it and saw a passing person in the Castle. 'Excuse me' said one owl, 'Do you know where we can find the person who rules over everybody here?' The person looked up and blinked, but he could see nobody, and so he simply answered, 'Either the Wizard Tower or the Palace. That's where the Princess lives, but she's not exactly old enough to run everybody yet. So try her or the ExtraOrdinary Wizard and her Apprentice, at the Wizard Tower over there.' 'Thank you' said the owl. They took off for the Wizard Tower, and they found that whoever lived in there was asleep, so the owls took to bed as well. When they woke, which was, one reported, around 9:00 in the morning, they swooped in to find that nobody was there. And then they began to examine the room. They found many odd things, nothing like we have ever seen. They didn't have much time, though, for soon a person entered.

"She was female, like Sinfagea. She wore a purple cloak and the funniest of shoes: purple snakeskin with really pointy heels. One of the search party, a young one named Fritha, just doubled over in laughter and that's how they became known to the person. She looked around warily, for to People our laugher must sound weird, and muttered something. The search party couldn't hear it, but nothing happened. She muttered something else, and a loud whoosh went by them, but they stayed there, wilfed tighter than a stick, with the peeping eye. After that the female went about her business, until another of the party sneezed. She looked up again, and this time said something else unintelligible to their ears, but they could only catch one word: '**See**'. As if pulled by a force, the owls slowly spread their wings and hopped to the ground. The female looked at them, then said, "Can you speak?" The head owl, called Syter, said, "Yes, we can speak. In fact, we can write, read, conduct experiments—' 'Who are you?' she asked. 'I'm Syter, and this is Reylin, Kika, Vleru, Gusfer, and Caseer.' 'I am Marcia Overstrand, ExtraOrdinary Wizard. What are you doing here, where we, me and my apprentice, live?' She was kind, but cautious. Syter bowed. 'Well, ma'am, we are missionaries from Ga'Hoole, an island kingdom from far away.' He pulled out a scroll from a botkin and handed it over. The female read it aloud.

'To Whom It May Concern,

I greet you warmly. I am Coryn, King of Ga'Hoole. I hope that this has been delivered safely to your hands by my faithful messengers.

A problem has arisen among my kingdom. We are, well, overcrowded. Now, I have had an idea about moving some of my young ones and a few older owls as well to your kingdom, if this is fine with you. Think about my idea, and please consider it. If you agree, send these owls back with your answer and I will begin to send the Guardians of Lesper'ah over. Please protect them, train them, help them, and do whatever you can to help them settle in.

And now, I have some questions. Please do not think me impertinent of asking, for some might seem like very stupid questions.

First—Can you read, write, and other academic things?

Second—Do you have owls there?

Third—Are there any very large trees, or suitable places for a group of owls to live?

Fourth—Can you fly?

Fifth—What animal are you?

As I said, these may as well have been the most hilarious questions on the face of the planet, but I am simply wanting to know about you.

Finally, could we arrange a sort of meeting? For I will want to release these owls I am sending from my rule, and they will be led by a leader. Not a king, not a lord, but a simple leader who knows how to do things and can do them well. I am hoping that you and other monarchs like yourself can supervise them, and help them.

I will hopefully see you soon,

Coryn

King of Ga'Hoole'

"'As she finished the letter' the owls said, 'she said she agreed, but would have to take it up with the Princess. She came back an hour later with the agreement, and then sent us home with the written agreement. How did she send us home? We don't know. She said something, and suddenly we found ourselves holding the botkin in the middle of Ambala. We flew back, and the rest is history'".

There was a great silence. Then Coryn unrolled a scroll, and said, "This is what Madam Overstrand wrote to us:

"'Dear King Coryn,

I am pleased of your sending, and I wanted to say that me and the Princess agreed. But please, do not send more than a hundred. I have gotten a large place in the Ramblings for them, and I don't think more than a hundred would be able to fit in there. It has three floors, and all have many nests, raised on platforms, on different rooms. One room is where you can cook and eat, and another where you can 'hang out' as my apprentice puts it. No, we cannot fly, yes, we are able do academic things, we are humans, or people, I answered one of your questions already, and yes, we have owls around here, but they cannot talk, and, no offense, but they are not the smartest of creatures.

Matters of hunting are a bit different. I'm sorry, but your owls can't exactly hunt rats around here. They can talk, they have minds of their own, and they can serve us humans. Everything else, like snakes, mice, squirrels, chipmunks, are fine.

Now I have two questions of my own. 1—who will be the leader? 2—what does Lesper'ah mean?

I sincerely hope to see you soon,

Marcia Overstrand

ExtraOrdinary Wizard'"

Coryn smiled. "I'd like to keep my parliament here, I think" he said, looking at the noble owls who stood on the branches. "But the group that went there would like to stay, they told me. Now, we're going to call a meeting in the great hollow." They all swept out, and Soren turned to Gylfie.

"Would you have liked to go?" he asked her. She shook her head. "No, I think that exploring the new world is not right for an owl like me. I mean, look at us." She gestured at the Band, who were flying together like always. "We've been all over the Southern and the Northern Kingdoms, and the Middle Kingdom too. We deserve a break, don't you think?"

"Why Gylfie, that's the first time you've said that, and I quite agree with you" yawned Twilight. "I could use some sleep right now, but nooooooo, just because we're members of parliament we have to go to this _meeting. _Digger pushed him. "Shut up, Twi. We've always had to go to mid-morning meetings." "Yeah, but we've been sitting in that parliament hollow for hours, listening to poor Coryn go on an on about this new world. Must have hurt the poor lad's throat horribly." They couldn't continue, because the bell had been rung. Many sleepy owls were now flapping into the Great Hollow, where Coryn began to say what he had already said to the parliament.

About an hour later, owls were raising their wings to go. When a hundred owls were selected, Coryn looked at them solemnly and said, "You all may never see us again." The chosen nodded. "And so, I am electing a leader, who will guide you through the new world. Syter, will you come out, please?" A trembling middle-age Barred Owl stepped forward. "Yes, sir?" "Syter, you are the new leader of the Guardians of Lesper'ah. You know of this world, you have communicated with the ExtraOrdinary Wizard. You will lead them." Syter bowed low so his beak scraped the wood. "King Coryn, I will lead the Guardians of Lesper'ah with all my strength and power until the day I die." Coryn nodded. "Good. Glauxspeed on your journey. There is a bundle of weapons on the platform facing where you must go." "Goodbye, Your Majesty, and good luck."

The owls flew out of the tree, four holding botkins of weapons, led by Syter, who's heart swelled with pride. He was the leader of the Guardians of Lesper'ah, which meant "Land of the Humans." He then called out in the sonorous tones of the Barred Owl to the others, "We're coming home!"


	2. Skylia and Socrates

**A/N: I have read TWoTE, and yes I know Coryn died, but let's pretend that never happened, shall we? And this is taking place in Queste, just so you all know, so the owls came to The Castle and such in Magyk. Now that that's all cleared up, I'll continue Guardians of Lesper'ah.**

Chapter One: Skylia and Socrates

It was three years after Syter had led 100 owls to the Ramblings and the Forest. Many owls were now being trained in the art of **Magyk**, or had begun to work in the Manuscriptorium. One, a Barn Owl named Skylia, had not yet chosen what to do.

It was Skylia's third day of being able to fly around alone. Two weeks before, she had had her First Flight but couldn't fly out of the forest, where she lived, unsupervised. She was flying around the deep part aimlessly when she heard a voice. "I hate this."

She called out, "Hello?" Then Skylia heard a _crack _and a _thump_. "Frink dead branch" someone cursed. She knew it was an owl because only owls said "frink". She fluttered over to where a disheveled Western Screech Owl was detangling himself from a bundle of twigs. He looked up. "Hey there" he said, kicking off a bit of leaf from his ebony talons. "I'm Socrates." He held out a wing. Skylia shook and said, "I'm Skylia. What, er, is happening?" "Oh, my mum's making me collect nest material for her third brood. Boooooooooooring!!!" "I couldn't agree more" churred Skylia. "My parents aren't having any more chicks." "Care for a hunt? I'm hungry." "Sure."

The two swooped low over the ground. A mouse was darting back and forth through the dead leaves. Socrates glanced at Skylia. "You, or me?" "I dunno, you. I strained a muscle the other day on that Night Flight thingy." Socrates nodded, angled his wings, and shot toward the earth. He had almost snatched the mouse between his talons when both owls heard a cheerful voice.

"Jo-Jo will kill me." Then, "I'm really sorry" from a different voice, and crackling sounds. The mouse slid out of the startled Socrates' talons and shot under the foliage. "_I'm _not. I've had enough of those giggling witches keeping me awake at night. They're a pain. I don't know what Jo-Jo, Edd, and Erik see in them." Socrates let loose a barrage of the worst curses imaginable, and they heard the first voice hiss "Shh!! There's something around." "Is it a wolverine?" a girl's voice asked uncertainly. "No...no, I don't think so. Wolverines can't talk, let alone curse. Sep, give me my knife."

Skylia almost screeched. Socrates shoved his wing over her beak and whispered, "Get into that tree hollow. Quick." Silent as wind, they lofted themselves into the hollow and pressed themselves as tight as possible against it. They heard the crackling sounds coming closer and Socrates called out, "Who's there? And please don't get the knife; we're not exactly dangerous." They heard a buckle being snapped, a click of metal against metal, and the snap again. "It's back in my belt." "Good." At that Socrates motioned to Skylia and flew out, their eyes shining out against the dark. They heard a sigh of relief. "It's just some owls, you three."

Socrates and Skylia perched upon a branch above the four people that stood below them. "I'm Socrates," said the gray owl, and Skylia introduced herself. "And I'm Skylia. What're you guys doing out here?" "We're getting back to camp," said the first one. Both of the owls eyed a great black beast that was traveling with them. "I'm Sam, this is my sister Jenna, my brother Septimus, and his friend Cockroach."

The one with black hair protested. "Actually, Sam, its Bee—" A dead branch fell out of a tree and whacked Socrates on the head. "Oh holy *BEEP*" he growled and rubbed his head. Skylia raised her eyebrows at him. "Man, you know how to curse," said Sam admiringly. "Hey, tell me—do owls seriously only come out at night?" "Nah" said Skylia, preening under her wing. "We sleep when we want to, really."

A call sounded from far away. "Socrates…" He grimaced. "That's my mum. I'd better go. You know, it's been nice seeing you guys, but what are you doing out here in the dead of night?" "I'm getting these three to my camp. Wanna come, Skylia?" Sam asked. "Sure" she said, glancing at Socrates. "Can you come with us?" He shook his head. "My mum'll freak. Maybe I can come back; my sister's still hanging around, she won't need me." "Okay, see you tomorrow, maybe" said the other fair-haired person, whom Skylia presumed was Septimus. Jenna put out her arm and her gold circlet glinted in the light from the torch. Skylia gasped. "You're the Princess!" Jenna nodded and sighed. "Just call me Jenna, please, Skylia." Skylia nodded; Socrates had left. Sam gestured off into the forest. "Lets go, you lot."

Skylia followed them back. They had a small encounter with some creature, but a well-aimed stone sent it away. They reached the camp within a few minutes and a few other teenagers got up from their places around the fire. "Marissa?" one asked. "You came back early" said another. "Hey, he's brought a load of _kids_. Where's Marissa?" said the first. "For your information, Jo, this _load of kids _is your brother and sister, not to mention your sisters panther." There was a pause, and then he added, "And an owl, and, um, Cockroach." "Er, actually it's Bee—" But his protests were drowned in the argument between the angry fair-haired boy and Sam. "So you haven't brought Marissa?" "No." "_Pigs_, Sam, it's been ages" he grumbled. Skylia whispered to the black-haired boy, "What is your name?" "Beetle" he replied. "At least now you won't mix it up."

As Skylia turned back to the fire, the boy whom Sam had been arguing with grabbed the torch and left. Septimus asked Sam, "Will he be okay?" "Yeah" replied Sam. Then he grinned and said, "On the way back, for sure. Marissa will scare anything away." The other two boys—"Edd and Erik" Jenna whispered to Skylia—laughed. "Hey, Jen" said one. "Hi, Edd." He blinked. "Hey, you can _tell_." "Of course I can. I never muddled up, even when Mum did."

Skylia was nodding off when she heard voices from the teepee. She recognized Jenna's snort: "I'd like to see them try." Then Septimus said, "It's different with witches." Skylia thought they were talking about the Wendron Witches. She stirred and stood up to listen.

"He's right, Jen": that was Sam. "It _is _different with witches. There are different rules—_their_ rules. You think you're doing what _you_ want, but then you find out that all along you've been doing what_ they_ want. Look at Jo-Jo." Skylia would have bet her tail feathers that Jo-Jo was the boy who had left earlier. "Jo-Jo's doing exactly what he wants" sniggered the twins. "Yeah. He _thinks_," muttered Sam.

She fluttered over to them. Jenna looked at her. "You're up" she greeted the pretty Barn owl. "I heard you talking" Skylia confessed. "What's going on?" Jenna looked at Septimus and asked, "Should we tell the whole story?" He nodded. "She's going to find out sooner or later" Septimus responded. "Well," began Jenna, "it all started, really, when our brother, Nicko, got lost in another time." Skylia gasped. "What…how?" "That's another story for another time" said Jenna sadly. "I had just finished my first **Projection**" Septimus put in. "When this really, and I mean really, old ghost came up to the door and—"

He was interrupted by a sudden appearance of a Forest leopard that bounded out of the the trees, swerved to avoid the panther, and collided with a tree. Skylia stifled a snigger.

Then Jo-Jo and one of the witches came striding out of the darkness, the boy carrying the torch. He tossed it into the fire and both sat down near it, warming themselves. Jo-Jo gulped down a fish, and then offered one to the witch whom Skylia thought was Marissa. She found herself a little sleepy again, and her eyelids began to flutter as she tried to stay awake, but eventually she dropped off on a tree branch.

* * *

The next thing she remembered was waking up in an empty campground, the sun's light barely shining through the treetops. Yawning, she swiveled her head around and heard snoring. But wait—_whispering_.

"You forgot your panther" came Sam's voice. Skylia silently flew to where they stood. Then something tapped her shoulder and she jumped a foot into the air. Her head turned almost completely around into two amber eyes. She almost shrieked when a wing muffled her beak. "Shhh!" came the whisper. "It's just me. Socrates." She breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at her friend.

"Me mum and sis said goodbye to me. I can come." Skylia grinned. "That's great." They turned to look down at the four humans, only to find—"They're gone" muttered Socrates

Skylia frowned. "I think they're heading to the Forest Ways." Socrates looked at her in surprise. "You know of them?" "Oh yeah, my mum told me about them a long time ago. Now come on or we'll lose them."

The two owls flew along the path, Skylia noticing familiar landmarks (her older sister's nest was very close to the Forest Ways, and the family liked to have parties at the least crowded nest), and Socrates trusting his tracking skills. Soon they reached the four people, all of them standing in front of a bunch of weird trees. The black-haired boy, Beetle, had gotten a cramp in his leg and was hopping around trying to relieve it, and Septimus was silently laughing. Then the trees' branches rose and they entered. The owls followed them.

When they got to the doors, Sam was telling the others something. The owls perched in the trees and waited. "These are the Forest Ways. Each leads to a different forest—so they say." The kids observed the doors, and then Jenna asked, "How do we know which one is the forest we want?" "I suppose we could open the doors and take a look" suggested Sam. "Really?" wondered Jenna. "We don't have to go in?" "No, why should you? There are no rules in the Forest, you know."

"Do you think we should ask before following them?" whispered Skylia to Socrates. He shrugged. "Well, once we're in there, it's not like they can send us out. Besides, we might be some help. If we ask them if we can follow, they might think it's too dangerous for a few teenage owls." Socrates snorted. "Go figure. I think we should just swoop down right after they open the door, and then we're all in and we're a team." "Okay, that works."

They looked down to see that Sam had opened one of the doors, and a gust of sandy air hit them full in the face. Socrates, being slightly smaller than Skylia, almost tumbled off his perch. "Yeesh! Sometimes I wish I was bigger" he muttered. "Cheer up. We're not full grown yet; my mum says that we have at least an inch or so to grow when we're this age." "Whoop-dee-do, you're still going to be taller than me." Skylia grinned and Socrates growled, "Wipe that smirk off your face."

Remembering the humans below them, they swiveled their heads to hear and see. One door was open, and flurries of snow were drifting onto the ground. The others were speaking; this was it. "Okay, the minute they step inside, we fly down. Then, we push our way in. Hopefully there won't be any problems."

Jenna bravely went forward first, and the two owls shot down, angling their wings so that they shot past Jenna—she exclaimed in surprise—and they found themselves in a snowy forest.

A second later and the three kids were next to them. "Skylia? Socrates?" gasped Jenna. The owls grinned triumphantly.


End file.
